Negative
by B.Daylight
Summary: A series of fated meetings. AkiHika, AU


Eh, might as well post this here, since it's on LJ already XD;**  
**

**Title:** Negative**  
Rating:** PG-13 (..ish?)  
**Genre/Warnings:** drama, AU, language (Well. The F-word. Once.)  
**Pairing**: AkiHika**  
Description: **A series of (fated?) meetings.**  
Disclaimer: **I don't own Hikago or make money off this, yadda yadda yadda.

The first time they meet it's in a dark bar, surrounded by smoke and the smell of heavy perfume. Touya Akira melts into the dim background, his dark suit and hair immaculate, the thin cigarette between his fingers gleaming brilliantly red.

Shindou can feel those eyes on him, appraising, measuring, and it's all he can do to appear unfazed.

No words are exchanged, just that one look, and yet both are left with a strange feeling of recognition neither can explain.

---

The second time they meet, Touya's pale face is bathed in harsh, white light, highlighting his high cheekbones and the dark bags under his eyes. His face is calm, however, as he explains for the fifth time this hour that he has nothing to do with the dead body a few doors down the hall.

He looks completely sure of himself, never flinching or backing down, just calmly answering the same questions over and over again.

There is no recognition in his eyes when Shindou walks into the interrogation room, and this is the only thing that tips Shindou off. Touya is lying.

But there's no proof and when, at the end of the day, Touya walks out of the police station a free man, all Shindou can do is stare at his retreating back.

---

The third time they're in Shindou's crammed apartment, among old take-out boxes and dirty magazines, the blinds shut tight. Touya's lips are on his, so hot he might melt, and as he strips those dark, regal clothes off, he thinks that maybe this is the way to Touya's heart, Touya's soul.

They fuck like they might die tomorrow, fast and hard and desperate, and it looks more like they're fighting when Touya sinks his teeth into Shindou's shoulder and Shindou shudders against him in release. He doesn't know if he will be able to live with himself when tomorrow comes around, and he knows he's sleeping with the enemy, but right then none of that matters.

They leave marks that go deeper than skin. When Touya departs in the morning without a backward glance, looking as composed as ever, Shindou thinks he feels something inside himself shatter.

---

He wakes up in the middle of the night now, gasping, black and white patterns etched into his mind; there's the barest memory of slender fingers setting down a stone, dark blue eyes staring into his with an unspoken challenge.

Something is wrong with him, and he can't quite figure out what it is.

He doesn't know how long he's been like this, not sleeping or eating, tracing insane attacks and brilliant comebacks onto his dusty floor, when Waya finds him. He can remember the light from the door - it must have been the door - blinding him, someone yelling his name, and then that's gone and all he knows is the sensation of floating.

---

"Let's go away together," he says the next time Touya's there, sitting at the edge of his hospital bed, and it's only when Touya looks at him that he realizes what he's said. "Let's leave," he insists. And Touya's eyes turn angry, so angry and betrayed, like he's said something he shouldn't have, and he probably has. Touya gets up without speaking, and Shindou knows he has to do something, anything. Because if he doesn't, this fragile little thing between them will wither away and die.

"17-4," he blurts out, and Touya - almost out the door, but not quite - halts and turns around. Shindou doesn't know what it means, what he's said, but he knows it must be something important, because Touya looks desperate and awed at once.

A split second later, Shindou is alone.

---

Waya knows. Shindou is certain; the look of sadness and betrayal on his friend's face is unmistakable. Every time Waya tries to talk to him about it, he cuts him off because he knows Waya couldn't possibly understand. He'll just have to accept it. Shindou can do nothing but hope that Waya will forgive him, someday.

It takes a week, but his answer arrives in a neat manila envelope. Inside is a single sheet of paper, with the numbers "4-17" hastily scribbled in blue ballpoint pen.

Shindou smiles, and even though he doesn't know exactly how or why, he sees the next number in his head.

---

It's a dangerous game to be playing with Touya Akira. After all, he is son to Touya Kouyo, arguably the most powerful man in Tokyo and the one a handful of non-corrupt policemen have been trying to get for _years_. But Shindou wouldn't stop, even if he could have.

There is a man at the police station called Kawai-san, and he's rough and loud and annoying, but kind in his own way. He overhears Shindou repeating the next number to himself one too many times and asks him if he plays go.

Shindou blinks at him for a moment or two, unsure of what to say, because until a split second ago he didn't even know the name of the game. When Kawai-san asks him for a match, Shindou sits down with him, feeling something like déjà vu.

He wins by two and a half moku, and he's not sure how he knows that either.

---

The other Akira is more clear in his mind now; he's a younger version of the man he knows, and his eyes aren't as hard or as cold, his words not quite so razor-sharp. He can hear him talk sometimes, furious exchanges that are somehow significant and seem to involve him - the other him - but he never seems to recall when he wakes up.

---

Awed silence is cast over the go salon when he walks in and asks the pretty girl at the counter if he could play a game with Touya Akira.

Their match is brilliant and devastating at once, and for Shindou, it feels like coming home.

---

Word on the street is that Touya Kouyou is interested in him, and Shindou is not sure if that's a good or bad sign. Humble police officers usually aren't of significance to yakuza bosses, unless it's in a bad way. He finds himself largely uncaring. (Waya hereupon stops ignoring him long enough to yell at him for being so damn _stupid_.) He's always suspected that there must be more to life than just the clear, straight-forward path everyone's always suggested he take. Perhaps, sometimes, one must take risks to achieve anything important.

(Not surprisingly, his philosophy fails to impress his partner, who just hits him over the head and yells at him some more. "Touya is bad enough, but his _father_? Are you fucking _insane_?"

Shindou can't really be upset though, because he thinks this means that they're friends again, despite everything.)

A year has passed since that first night in the bar, and Touya's eyes aren't quite so aloof anymore when he looks at him, the curve of his mouth a tiny bit gentler. When Shindou strokes a thumb along the smooth, dark fabric of his dress jacket, and tells him that his dress sense has improved over the months _(years, lifetimes)_, Touya smiles. Shindou doesn't know where this is going exactly, or how possible it is for them to win, but he thinks that maybe they're getting closer. And maybe, just maybe, everything is finally falling into place.

The board is blank before him. He takes a deep breath, and places the first stone.

_The End_

A/N: Thanks for reading! If there's anything about the story you think needs fixing/changing, please tell me, it'll be muchly appreciated :D


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